PLANTS, PEOPLE, PLANET最新文献

{"title":"Old meets new: Innovative and evolving uses of herbaria over time as revealed by a literature review","authors":"Macarena Marín‐Rodulfo, Katy V. Rondinel‐Mendoza, Isabel Martín‐Girela, E. Cañadas, J. Lorite","doi":"10.1002/ppp3.10541","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp3.10541","url":null,"abstract":"Herbaria, as collections of preserved plants, contain large amounts of data both in the labels and the specimens themselves, which can be applied in different study fields. A literature review was conducted to discover how the uses of herbaria have evolved over time since records began. This analysis revealed insights into how herbaria are presently used. Uses include traditional taxonomic review, as well as advanced technological tools, which are being applied to herbaria material to address societal and global challenges and therefore contribute to decision‐making in conservation.Herbaria as collections of preserved plants contain large amounts of data and prominent information, both on the labels and on the specimens themselves. There are 400 million specimens preserved in herbaria worldwide, with great potential for studies in conservation and effects of global change on plants. (1) In this paper, we investigate the array of herbaria uses through a systematic review of the scientific literature in SCOPUS covering the period 1842–2022. (2) We reviewed a total of 2900 papers and classified them in different areas of knowledge, as well as the taxonomic level studied. (3) Our results show that taxonomic use is the most relevant over time. This taxonomic use, together with the use as primary source of plant diversity data, is essential for documenting, planning, and acting on the conservation of threatened plants. Furthermore, our results have shown that new and diverse uses have emerged since 1990, mostly related to ecological issues, as herbaria provide a historical record of plant diversity and distribution, as well as their ecological and evolutionary responses, allowing scientists to track changes over time. (4) This contributes to improve the knowledge of biodiversity and to increase the effectiveness of conservation strategies and policies, which are a priority to address on going global change. Therefore, our study shows the relevance and potential of herbaria in ecology, including new or forthcoming uses, which are different from the uses originally intended by collectors. Thus, their preservation is critical as the unique and exceptional record for the knowledge of changes in biodiversity over space and time.","PeriodicalId":508327,"journal":{"name":"PLANTS, PEOPLE, PLANET","volume":"53 43","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141644671","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Bee pollination in the shadows: The role of pseudopollen and agamospermy in the mycoheterotrophic orchid Gastrodia elata","authors":"K. Suetsugu, Takenori Yamamoto","doi":"10.1002/ppp3.10540","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp3.10540","url":null,"abstract":"The family Orchidaceae is renowned for its reliance on specialized pollinators and mycorrhizal symbioses. This study examined how the nonphotosynthetic orchid Gastrodia elata thrives on the dim forest floor, focusing on its pollination biology, particularly the chemical properties of pseudopollen and reproductive assurance mechanisms. It was found that G. elata mainly relies on Lasioglossum bees, attracted by its starch‐rich pseudopollen. Additionally, G. elata in the studied population can produce fruit through agamospermy (seeds from unfertilized ovules). Overall, the findings reveal that G. elata relies on fungi for nutrition and employs reproductive strategies such as mimicking pollen to attract bees and resorting to asexual reproduction when pollinators are scarce.\u0000\u0000Mycoheterotrophy is an adaptation that allows survival in environments with low irradiance and minimal competition from autotrophic plants. However, such environments can negatively impact bee pollination, as most bees prefer open habitats. Despite this, the mycoheterotrophic orchid Gastrodia elata is known to rely on Lasioglossum bees for pollination.\u0000We investigated the reproductive biology of G. elata to understand how it overcomes pollinator limitation. Our research focused on the chemical composition and anatomical basis of G. elata pseudopollen (a substance that mimics pollen and may facilitate pollination), based on micromorphological and nutritional analyses, as well as observations of pollinator behavior. Additionally, we explored the potential presence of autogamy or agamospermy as mechanisms for reproductive assurance.\u0000The pseudopollen in G. elata originates from the disintegration of the adaxial parenchymatous tissue of the callus and is rich in starch. This contrasts with pseudopollen in most orchids, which typically originates from lip hairs and whose potential attractant is protein. Lasioglossum bees pollinating G. elata visit multiple flowers and actively collect pseudopollen. Furthermore, agamospermy serves as a reproductive safeguard in shaded habitats where insect‐mediated pollination is infrequent, at least in the investigated population.\u0000Our findings suggest that Gastrodia elata pseudopollen plays an important role in enhancing insect‐mediated pollination, particularly in relatively open habitats, while agamospermy ensures fruit set in shaded environments of the investigated population. Both pseudopollen production and agamospermy likely help overcome the pollination constraints posed by the mycoheterotrophic lifestyle.\u0000","PeriodicalId":508327,"journal":{"name":"PLANTS, PEOPLE, PLANET","volume":"21 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141649114","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Genetic fingerprinting reveals how traditional farming practices aided to preserve ancient table grape varieties in Almería (southeastern Spain)","authors":"J. Tello, Álvaro Galán, Inmaculada Rodríguez‐Torres, J. Martínez-Zapater, Antonio Rubio Casanova, Javier Ibáñez","doi":"10.1002/ppp3.10537","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp3.10537","url":null,"abstract":"Table grape production is a traditional practice in southeastern Spain, where locals have produced fresh grapes and raisins for centuries. Many of these vines are now centenary, and they represent a useful source of diversity for developing future table grape varieties with improved traits. Genetic analysis showed that many of the local varieties identified in this study were traditional varieties from Western Mediterranean countries. Others were not identified, and they might be old grape varieties of previous importance in the region. The conservation and characterization of these varieties could be key to ensuring current and future vineyard sustainability.\u0000Current worldwide table grape production focuses on a reduced number of Vitis vinifera L. varieties. However, traditional farmers have grown many table grape varieties for centuries, as they provided a steady source of fresh fruit and raisins. These ancient living genotypes potentially store a genetic diversity that can be used now to ensure future grape production.\u0000Here we focused on the study of grapevines found across Almería, one of the Spanish regions with longer tradition in table grape production. After an exhaustive inspection, we located 220 old (some centenary) vines producing grapes consumed by owners or in abandoned areas no longer devoted to agriculture.\u0000Some of these vines were identified by comparing their simple sequence repeat (SSR) and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genetic profiles with available data from international databases. We found that, while grape growers' efforts focused on the cultivation of traditional grape varieties from Western Mediterranean regions, they also cultivated few exogenous varieties if they provided additional fruit features. Other vines were found to have genetic profiles that did not match reference datasets. Interestingly, some of them were found in multiple locations, suggesting they are endangered varieties with some previous relevance in the region. Besides, first‐degree relationships support the autochthonous origin of many of these unidentified genotypes.\u0000Locals kept a high number of different grapevine varieties, now considered reservoirs of genetic diversity. Traditional farming practices have been useful to prevent the loss of this diversity, which now needs to be preserved and further studied to contribute to the sustainability of viticultural systems.\u0000","PeriodicalId":508327,"journal":{"name":"PLANTS, PEOPLE, PLANET","volume":" 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141670205","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Feeding specialization shapes the bottom‐up effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi across a plant–aphid–parasitoid system","authors":"P. Cascone, L. Iodice, L. Gualtieri, Assunta Russo, P. Cesaro, Zekun Yang, Michelina Ruocco, M. M. Monti, N. Massa, G. Lingua, Emilio Guerrieri","doi":"10.1002/ppp3.10493","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp3.10493","url":null,"abstract":"Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) impact the relationships between plants, aphids (insects that feed on plant phloem), and their natural enemies (insects that prey on or parasitize aphids). The presence of AMF influences the growth and population of different aphid species and affects the development of aphid‐killing wasps and their attraction to plants. This research has been conducted also considering the insects' feeding strategy and their feeding specialization. This study provides novel perspectives on how these fungi shape interactions in the natural world, offering potential insights for the development of sustainable pest management strategies in agriculture.\u0000Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are major root symbionts regulating plant physiology. Their presence affects the performance of aboveground insect herbivores in relation to their feeding strategy and their feeding specialization. For example, the effect of the arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbiosis on chewing insects, positive for specialists and negative for generalists, has been previously demonstrated. Conversely, the impact of AMF on phloem‐suckers with relatively different levels of specialization remains unexplored.\u0000We tested the influence of the AM Funneliformis mosseae on the fitness of the specialist aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum and the generalist aphid Myzus persicae on Vicia faba plants. Further, we investigated the effects of AMF on the higher trophic level, the aphid parasitoids Aphidius ervi (specialist) and Aphidius colemani (generalist), by evaluating plant attractiveness and parasitoid fitness. To support the results of behavioral and biological bioassays we characterized the photosynthetic parameters, the volatilome and the transcriptome of tested plants.\u0000Mycorrhizal plants proved unsuitable for the generalist M. persicae but enhanced the fitness of the specialist A. pisum. The AM symbiosis had no effects on the behavioral response of A. colemani and enhanced the attraction and fitness of A. ervi.\u0000Volatilome and transcriptome profiling corroborated the results of bioassay highlighting a bottom‐up effect of the AMF across a plant–aphid–parasitoid system.\u0000","PeriodicalId":508327,"journal":{"name":"PLANTS, PEOPLE, PLANET","volume":"96 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141681729","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Correction to “Opportunities and challenges for strawberry cultivation in urban food production systems”","authors":"","doi":"10.1002/ppp3.10538","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp3.10538","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":508327,"journal":{"name":"PLANTS, PEOPLE, PLANET","volume":"30 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141685494","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Engineering the future of Physalis grisea: A focus on agricultural challenges, model species status, and applied improvements","authors":"Savanah Marie Dale, Elise Tomaszewski, Z. Lippman, J. Van Eck","doi":"10.1002/ppp3.10536","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp3.10536","url":null,"abstract":"Groundcherry (Physalis grisea) is a plant species grown for its flavorful fruit. The fruit drops from the plant, hence the common name groundcherry. This makes harvest cumbersome and puts the fruit at risk for carrying soil‐borne pathogens, therefore making them unsellable. Furthermore, insects often damage the plants, reducing yield. Advances in gene editing offer promise for addressing these issues and aiding home gardeners and farmers. Improvement will expand access to this nutritious fruit, rich in potassium, vitamin C, and antioxidants. Additionally, studies of its biology could serve as a model for improving other fruiting plants, particularly underutilized species.P. grisea is an underutilized, semidomesticated fruit crop with rising agronomic value. Several resources have been developed for its use in fundamental biological research, including a plant transformation system and a high‐quality reference genome. Already, P. grisea has been used as a model to investigate biological phenomena including inflated calyx syndrome and gene compensation. P. grisea has also been used to demonstrate the potential of fast‐tracking domestication trait improvement through approaches such as CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing. This work has led to the Physalis Improvement Project, which relies on reverse genetics to understand the mechanisms that underlie fruit abscission and plant–herbivore interactions to guide approaches for improvement of undesirable characteristics. CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing has been used to target P. grisea genes that are suspected to act in fruit abscission, particularly orthologs of those that are reported in tomato abscission zone development. A similar approach is being taken to target P. grisea genes involved in the withanolide biosynthetic pathway to determine the impact of withanolides on plant–herbivore interactions. Results from these research projects will lead to a greater understanding of important biological processes and will also generate knowledge needed to develop cultivars with reduced fruit drop and increased resistance to insect herbivory.","PeriodicalId":508327,"journal":{"name":"PLANTS, PEOPLE, PLANET","volume":"8 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141686122","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Resilient trees for urban environments: The importance of intraspecific variation","authors":"Henrik Sjöman, Harry Watkins, Laura J. Kelly, A. Hirons, Kent Kainulainen, Kevin W. E. Martin, A. Antonelli","doi":"10.1002/ppp3.10518","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp3.10518","url":null,"abstract":"Trees in urban environments provide us with shade, heat mitigation, flood abatement, noise and pollution reduction, pollination, beauty, and much more. However, many of these benefits are strongly connected to tree size and vitality, with larger, healthier trees providing ecosystem services more effectively, which means that selecting the right tree for site and function is crucial in order to gain all benefits from our urban trees.Trees play a major role in the Earth's biogeochemical processes, influencing soil production, hydrological, nutrient and carbon cycles, and the global climate. They store about 50% of the world's terrestrial carbon stocks, and provide habitats for a wide range of other species, supporting at least half of the Earth's known terrestrial plants and animals. Trees are not only found in forests and other natural ecosystems, but also in urban environments. Most of the human population is concentrated in cities, towns and villages, so urban trees are critical to meet on‐going and future social, economic and environmental challenges. However, many urban tree populations are strongly challenged by a changing climate, outbreaks of pests and pathogens and an urban development with increasingly dense cities and a high proportion of impermeable surface materials. The importance of intraspecific variation needs to be better acknowledged in this context, since poor matching of trees and the local climate and growing conditions can lead to extensive loss of valuable trees. By using the right genetic plant material for the challenging urban environments, a more resilient tree population with a greater diversity and higher capacity for delivering ecosystem services can be gained. Here, we wish to discuss the need to consider intraspecific variation when planning resilient tree populations for urban environments and how seed banks and botanical garden play important roles in efforts to improve the matching of genetic plant material for future environmental challenges. Strategies to enrich urban tree diversity and increase resilience are outlined.","PeriodicalId":508327,"journal":{"name":"PLANTS, PEOPLE, PLANET","volume":"24 43","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141685286","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Human management of ongoing evolutionary processes in agroecosystems","authors":"Alicia Mastretta‐Yanes, Daniel Tobin, Mauricio R. Bellon, E. V. von Wettberg, Angelica Cibrian-Jaramillo, A. Wegier, A. S. Monroy‐Sais, Nancy Gálvez‐Reyes, Jorge Ruiz‐Arocho, Yolanda H. Chen","doi":"10.1002/ppp3.10521","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp3.10521","url":null,"abstract":"Agricultural sustainability depends on the adaptation of crops to their local environment. Smallholder farmers who save seed provide an essential “evosystem” service by growing locally adapted seed varieties that can recruit biodiversity to enhance their growth and defense. While professional plant breeding has diverted evolutionary processes away from local adaptation, smallholder farmers, particularly those in centers of origin for crops, benefit society by selecting and propagating diverse crop varieties that allow local adaptation processes to perpetuate. Given that smallholders support society through the generation of evosystem services, changes in policy and practice are needed to support the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in ways that mitigate risk and recognize their important contributions to agricultural sustainability.Long‐term food security and agricultural sustainability depend on protecting the eco‐evolutionary processes that select for local adaptation in crops. Since seed systems structure how people acquire seed, institutional and social changes influence evolutionary processes within agroecosystems. Since World War II, the rise of professional breeding has bifurcated seed systems into traditional and formal systems, which has negatively affected agrobiodiversity, crop evolution, and agricultural sustainability. In traditional seed systems, farmers often save seed from plants that best provide desired qualities, selecting landrace crop varieties to adapt to local environmental conditions. In formal or centralized seed systems, farmers buy seeds bred primarily for maximizing yield under ideal conditions. When farmers source seeds externally, evolutionary processes underlying local adaptation are disrupted. Here, we argue that traditional seed systems provide important evosystem services, or the evolutionary processes resulting from the maintenance and use of genetic diversity that benefit society. We present a framework on how seed systems influence the evolutionary processes that enable local adaptation, which is necessary for sustainable agriculture. We discuss how changes in human values underlying traditional and formal seed systems can alter evolutionary processes that underlie local adaptation. We conclude that developing policies that support people in managing ecological and evolutionary processes within seed systems is needed to address current and future challenges of global food security and agricultural sustainability.","PeriodicalId":508327,"journal":{"name":"PLANTS, PEOPLE, PLANET","volume":"19 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-06-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141359312","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Data blanks by design: Intellectual property and restrictions on genetic diversity assessments of the maize standing crop in the USA Upper Midwest","authors":"Cathleen McCluskey, William F. Tracy","doi":"10.1002/ppp3.10531","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp3.10531","url":null,"abstract":"All US commercial maize (Zea mays) is a single race, “Corn Belt Dent,” and its genetic base has been in decline for at least 40 years. Independent genotyping can only be conducted after patent and licensing restrictions have expired, a period of 20 years. These restrictions also impede a molecular based assessment of the standing crop by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) as recommended by experts. Data blanks about landscape vulnerability put farmers at risk of crop failure and the public at risk of food insecurity. Understanding maize diversity experts' perspectives and analysis helps describe the contours of these data blanks and inform policy recommendations.\u0000Recommendations by the Maize Crop Germplasm Committee to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for a molecular based vulnerability assessment on the US standing maize (Zea mays) crop have not been acted on because of intellectual property and licensing restrictions. This research explores maize diversity experts' access to data and perceptions and analysis of the standing crop.\u0000The data come from semi‐structured interviews conducted with 44 maize diversity experts in the public and private sectors.\u0000Experts explain that genetic data blanks restrict non‐industry research, describe public sector concerns that standing diversity is narrow(ing), and find historic sources of pedigree data in Plant Variety Protection and patent records are no longer reliable. Some interviewees perceive that industry monitoring of standing diversity is in their best financial interest. Industry participants describe concentration in US maize allows them to control diversity over time, while public researchers discuss efficiency of scale narrowing genetic diversity and global concentration spreading this trend.\u0000Knowledge gaps about genetic diversity in US commercial maize are designed through patents, contracts, non‐disclosure agreements, and confidentiality agreements by patent holders who do not want their inbred lines genotyped by competitors. This restricts research and knowledge flow about genetic information into public networks. The Maize Crop Germplasm Committee is a node for knowledge flow; however, the lack of mechanisms for action suggests it is performative. We recommend all protections used on seed include exemptions for research, breeding, and seed saving; an independent assessment of how industry monitors standing diversity; and a molecular analysis of the standing crop conducted by the USDA.\u0000","PeriodicalId":508327,"journal":{"name":"PLANTS, PEOPLE, PLANET","volume":"25 23","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-06-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141355518","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Constraints of commercially available seed diversity in restoration: Implications for plant functional diversity","authors":"Samantha E. Andres, Joe Atkinson, David Coleman, James Brazill‐Boast, Ian J. Wright, Stuart Allen, Rachael V. Gallagher","doi":"10.1002/ppp3.10523","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp3.10523","url":null,"abstract":"Large quantities of diverse native seeds are required to scale up global restoration efforts. However, it remains unclear for many ecosystems how the diversity of available seed in commercial stocks reflects the composition of the ecosystems where vegetation is being remade. This study highlights existing shortfalls in the diversity of seed presently available for use in restoration and identifies gaps in the seed supply chain while providing a new method for optimising species selection given these constraints. This work underscores how improved collaboration between stakeholders is required to strengthen the seed supply chain and help remake functionally diverse vegetation.\u0000Restoration using native seed is frequently implemented to restore degraded ecosystems. However, it remains unclear how constraints on the diversity of germplasm available for use in restoration may limit the recovery of both species and plant functional diversity.\u0000Using a dataset of seed availability for Australia's major vegetation types, we explore variation in the diversity and breadth of functional traits (leaf mass per area, seed mass, plant height) for species where seed is available on commercial markets relative to unavailable. Using these data, we simulate theoretical seed mixes derived from two species pools: (1) constrained by the current market of commercially available seed, and (2) assuming all native species can be planted; then we compare differences in functional diversity (dispersion) as an exercise to explore possible limitations within the current seed supply.\u0000Seed from only 12% of Australian plant species (2992 species) is presently available for immediate purchase. Seed was more frequently available for trees and shrubs than for understorey species. Available species were on average taller, with thicker, longer‐lived leaves than unavailable species. Overall, functional dispersion was lower for seed mixes generated using available seed compared with those drawn from all species.\u0000Solutions are required to address seed shortfalls so that plantings are not only species rich but also functionally diverse. We develop two options: (1) quantifying and addressing gaps in the seed supply chain that currently limit the capacity for practitioners to restore diverse vegetation; and (2) applying a trait‐informed species‐selection method to plantings that maximises functional diversity using available seed.\u0000","PeriodicalId":508327,"journal":{"name":"PLANTS, PEOPLE, PLANET","volume":" 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-06-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141366997","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}